Coronavirus, Tokyo 2020 Olympics postponed
Well-being — di Elisabetta Scuri
Due to the coronavirus, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed to 2021.
Coronavirus, Tokyo 2020 Olympics postponed
Due to the coronavirus, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed to 2021.
The speculation had been in the air for days, but today the confirmation has arrived: the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are postponed to 2021. The announcement was made by the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, after discussions with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. The decision was also shaped by the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, the President of the organising committee, Yoshiro Mori, and the Japanese Minister for the Olympic Games, Seiko Hashimoto.
To safeguard the health of the athletes and everyone involved in the Tokyo 2020 Games.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will now take place no later than summer 2021.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will now take place no later than summer 2021.
Why the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed
The painful decision was driven by the pandemic that has spread from China to touch every corner of the planet. The number of people infected with the new coronavirus, responsible for the disease known as Covid-19, has now reached 335,000. Postponing the Games entails significant costs, but it has proved unavoidable given the growing number of infections and the consequent danger to athletes and those working in the sector. It is no coincidence that many other sporting events had already been suspended, such as the American basketball league NBA, or moved, such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix scheduled for 19 April in Shanghai, which has been pushed back to a date yet to be determined. Serie A football has also postponed five matches and the Coppa Italia final, which shifts from 13 to 20 May.
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Many athletes had called for the Olympics to be postponed; Australia and Canada had announced that they would not be sending their delegations. At this point, all that remains is to wait until 2021: the edition will nonetheless be called Tokyo 2020, so as not to lose the investments made in the brand and in merchandising. The only challenge will be working out how to organise the calendar, given that next year the world swimming and athletics championships are also scheduled.
Joint statement by the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee on the postponement.
tokyo2020.org/en/news/joint-…
tokyo2020.org/en/news/joint-…
The Olympic flame, whose arrival in Japan was celebrated with a ceremony on 20 March, will therefore remain unlit until then. But those who dream of a medal will not stop dreaming.